The invention relates generally to electronic power conversion and more particularly to a high voltage, high speed, high pulse repetition rate pulse generator using soft switching and pulse shaping technologies.
Generators capable of operating at high voltages, high speeds, and high pulse repetition rates have generally employed radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers and related technology to accomplish high voltage, high speed and high pulse repetition rate generation and transmission. Such RF power amplifiers are expensive to produce and suffer in reliability due to internal heat build-up during high pulse repetition rate generation. RF amplifiers also undesirably require significant real estate and generally have low electric efficiency. Further, RF power amplifier technology is not particularly suitable for generation of high pulse repetition rates due to thermal losses, among other things.
It would be both advantageous and beneficial to provide a high voltage, high speed, high pulse repetition rate pulse generator that solves the high pulse repetition rate limitations associated with RF power amplifiers. It would be further advantageous if the high voltage, high speed, high pulse repetition rate pulse generator were capable of continued operation without impairment of the pulse generator during both short circuit and open circuit load conditions.